On Friday, US President Donald Trump expressed his desire for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to bring the war in Ukraine to an end, advocating for a 30-day ceasefire.
Trump, who departs on Monday on a trip to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar, was asked what his message to Putin is in the wake of a warning from the US embassy in Kyiv about a “potentially significant” air attack in the coming days.
Trump’s Message
“I have a message for both parties: Get this war ended,” Trump says of Ukraine and Russia. “Get this stupid war finished. That’s my message for both of them,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
The embassy said on its website that it had received information about an air attack that may occur at any time over the next several days.
“The Embassy, as always, recommends US citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced,” it said.
Productive Call With Zelenskyy
The White House said Trump had a “very good and productive” call with Zelenskyy on Thursday and that Trump hopes both Ukraine and Russia will agree next week to a proposed 30-day ceasefire.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, speaking to reporters at a briefing on Friday, also reiterated that a Trump meeting with Putin next week in the Middle East was not going to happen.
In Kyiv, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said he spoke by telephone on Friday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials about the proposed ceasefire as part of moves towards a peace agreement.
“The main focus was the question of the ceasefire and prospects for a peace settlement,” Yermak wrote on Telegram, adding that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg had also taken part. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov was also present.
“Also discussed was the importance of implementing the points on which our presidents agreed,” Yermak wrote.
(With inputs from Reuters)
